How Mill Street Brew Pub Makes Award Winning Beer

Mill Street is renowned as one of Canada’s favourite beers, named after its original location at 55 Mill Street in the Distillery District. Now ten years old, Mill Street is a pioneer of Canada’s young microbrewery industry. The Distillery was a natural fit for Mill Street’s craft beer production, as a neighbourhood once known for its spirits and beers. As the Distillery has evolved and grown, so has Mill Street transformed; Mill Street brews over 25 varieties of beer, many of which are shipped across the country and some still exclusive to the Distillery.

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The site of Mill Street Brew Pub is the former industrial complex of Gooderham & Worts, the massive 1930s whiskey distillery. Gooderham and Worts was one of the largest distilleries in the British Empire and one of the main suppliers during the Prohibition. This distilling operation became so large that it moved to Winsdor, and even built a tunnel beneath the Detroit River to move more product to the United States. This left the buildings of the Distillery empty and obsolete until Toronto decided to revamp the area. Mill Street got involved at the beginning of the Distillery’s restoration, and was one of the original two tenants alongside Balzac’s Coffee Roasters.

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Today, all of Mill Street’s large-scale brewing occurs at a facility in Scarborough. While the Distillery District inspires many of Mill Street’s well-known beers, such as Tankhouse and Stock Ale, the Brew Pub only brews specialty beer that cannot be found at the liquor store. These exclusive brews are available on draught or in kegs, including Betelguese, Pilsner, Maple Ale, Spring Bock and Don Valley varieties.

Mill Street Brew Pub exclusively produces speciality beers, including this season's favourites: Maple Ale, Distillery Ale, Lemon Tea, Spring IMP, Minimus Dubbel, and Ampel Weiss

Mill Street Brew Pub exclusively produces speciality beers, including this season’s favourites: Maple Ale, Distillery Ale, Lemon Tea, Spring IMP, Minimus Dubbel, and Ampel Weiss

Mill Street Brew Pub remains an experimenting ground; With 14 different taps available, the Brew Pub has the ability to brew any beer that is ordered. This is a great way to test different beers and understand what people enjoy drinking. In fact, Mill Street’s Lemon Tea Beer started as a small batch, experimental beer. Lemon Tea Beer was so well liked at the Mill Street Brew Pub that it is now sold in cans and shipped across Canada.

the still door

Mill Street will soon be offering beer schnapps for the new beer hall

For the first time since its bulk production moved to Scarborough, Mill Street will expanding its distillery operations by producing beer schnapps. Mill Street will be unveiling two stills imported from Germany to distill beer schnapps, a product that no other Canadian is producing. Mill Street’s new beer hall will be home to the beer schnapps operation, and will pay homage to the former distilleries that occupied the historic neighbourhood.

The first Canadian brewery to produce beer shnapps, Mill Street will be opening its new distillery facility this month

The first Canadian brewery to produce beer shnapps, Mill Street will be opening its new distillery facility this month

Mill Street Brew Pub offers brewery tours that delve into the details of quality beer production. In order to brew beer, four ingredients are required: Malt, water, hops and yeast.

Malt adds colour and flavour to beer

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Mill Street brews straw, caramel, and dark malts, which are mixed and matched to create various colours and levels of sweetness

Most beers are made from barley, a versatile cereal grain, while malt refers to the process done to this seed. Barley seeds are first soaked in water until they begin to sprout and germinate, allowing sugars and starches to come to the forefront. Baking or kilning the barley stops the germination process and results in different styles of malt. When the barley seeds are baked for a long time, a darker colour is produced. Beers made from dark malt have a toasted, bitter flavor. Malt that is cooked for shorter periods result in a beer that is lighter in colour and less intense. After the malt is mixed for a brew’s specific recipe, it is funneled into a machine that grinds the malt into a fine, coffee-like texture. The malt is pumped through a tube that carries it to be mixed with water.

Water makes up about 90% of beer

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Malt is mixed with water to create a sticky & sweet solution, which can be sterilized and flavoured

Water is a very important ingredient and, depending on the style of beer, the water used can be either hard or soft.  The technology to harden or soften water did not exist hundreds of years ago, and beers were completely defined by different regions with different water softness and mineral content. Mixing the malt with water creates a sticky, sweet substance known as wort, and strips the starch and sugar from the malt. This solution is boiled to both sterilize and add flavour.

Hops is a preservative that adds flavour, aroma and bitterness to beer 

brew boots

Hops balances the sweetness of malt and adds bitterness to beer

The main flavour addition is hops, which is added either early or late depending on the bitterness desired.  Other flavours can also be added to the beer at this time, such as the genuine Balzac’s coffee beans that are added to every batch of Mill Street’s Coffee Porter. The effect of hops is to provide beer with bitterness and aroma, as it balances the sweetness of malt. Many people aren’t aware that hops works primarily as a preservative, which keeps beer alive longer and allows it to taste better when not refrigerated. Historically, the British needed to brew beer with plenty of hops, in order to send to their troops overseas in India. Today, people crave and love bitter beers for being full of flavour and high in alcohol.

Yeast is fermented to add alcohol to beer

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The purpose of yeast is to add the alcohol content to beer

Finally, yeast is added to the process to eat up the remaining sugar, add the alcohol content, and to contribute some carbonation. The majority of beers are brewed with either ale or lager yeast. Ale yeast is fermented at a warmer temperature, so it can be enjoyed warm. This type of yeast does not eat up the sugar as efficiently and produces a beer that is more complex.  Lager yeast is fermented cold and is best served cold. Lager distills more sugar and creates a beer that is more refined, refreshing and crisp. A lager is so delicate that even light can affect its flavour profile, which is why lagers are produced in dark bottles. The next step is fermentation, which takes place in temperature-controlled tanks to ferment beers at different temperatures.  Finally, the beer is filtered, carbonated, and ready to be enjoyed.

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Post written by Alex Franceschini on May 8, 2013.

Leah Doz at Soulpepper in La Ronde

Leah Doz plays a captive sex worker in La Ronde 2013 Soulpepper Theatre.

Leah Doz, Toronto actor, rising star at Soulpepper Theatre, 2013, La Ronde

This is a Soulpepper Theatre debut for Leah Doz, which means she just joined the company this year. The twenty something actor was born in Edmonton Alberta, the only child of a single mom. Now she’s a bright light on stage in the Toronto Distillery District and is burning up the big city theatre reviews.

Leah Doz Has Been Performing All Her Life

Leah Doz was enrolled in ballet at age three and has the Dancer’s Turnout to prove it. “I am so grateful to my mom for enrolling me when I was young. Ballet taught me discipline, devotion, and physical awareness that has served all my work on stage.” Leah spent her childhood at a number of different performing arts schools, all over Canada, and today her educational credentials are impeccable. She’s a safe bet for Canadian film and TV producers primarily because she has natural talent, and also because she has great training; Leah studied at the National Theatre School in Montreal, and the Seacoast Theatre Centre in Vancouver, and in the Nightwood Emerging Actors Program and has won a Hnatyshyn Award for Developing Theatre Artist, and a Queen’s Golden Jubilee Performing Artist Award, and a Sterling Award Nomination. Its really impressive for such young talent. This girl is going places.

Leah has already performed at Stratford in 2012, in The Matchmaker, Much Ado About Nothing (Stratford), and before that in the Dora award-winning play Tomasso’s Party (Rooftop Creations). She’s appeared in A Raisin in the Sun (Black Theatre Workshop), and The Laramie Project (Citadel Theatre). Leah recently completed a BRAVO Fact short called ‘Issues’ (Insomniac Productions) which will air next year. She will be joining the National Arts Center’s English Acting Company in Ottawa this fall.

La Ronde at Young Centre for Performing Arts, Soulpepper 2013La Ronde is a play written by Arthur Schnitzler in 1897 that scrutinizes the sexual morals and class ideology through a series of encounters between pairs of characters (shown before or after a sexual encounter). By choosing characters across all levels of society, the play offers social commentary on how sexual contact crosses class boundaries.

Schnitzler’s play elicited violent critical and condemnation because of its subject matter and treatment in 1920 performances, which were shocking and became rather sensational failures that left the playwright very unhappy. The titles of the play—in German Reigen and in French La Ronde—refer to a round dance, as portrayed in the English nursery rhyme Ring a Ring o’ Roses.

Directed by Alan Dilworth, La Ronde takes a circuitous route through ten different sexual liaisons to question the nature of human contact, love and fidelity.

Leah confessed to me this play is incredibly challenging for her, because it’s so incredibly emotionally demanding. And she’s nude on stage for a brief spell but, as she describes it, “every actor has to do something physically revealing and emotionally revealing. I have gotten used to the nudity, but the stakes for the emotionally revealing parts are stomach-turning every night, but I could not have asked for a more amazing cast. The mentorship I have encountered from Soulpepper’s founding stalwarts has been moving; I bike home every day counting my blessings. They are unconditionally generous and supportive of the younger company members; it is truly a gift to experience such a sense of camaraderie and equality here at the Young Centre. The company sets a high standard for an ensemble-based environment. It is a true theatre company. Everyone feels like family. And La Ronde requires that level of trust.””

You can buy tickets for La Ronde online at Young Centre for Performing Arts Theatre website or show up at box office and take your chances – you can buy $22 tickets a 1/2 hr before the show right at the box office which is a little known local secret.

Young Center for Performing Arts is the perfect springboard for Leah Doz into Canadian Film and TV. La Ronde ends May 4th 2013, after which Leah preps for Great Expectations at Soulpepper this summer. “I’m so excite to spend the summer here. The Distillery is an amazing location to spend time creatively. Great Expectations will also be a period piece, so it feels fitting to spend so much time in Toronto’s oldest locale.” at the other end of the Soulpepper Theatre’s 2013 Season.

Post by Robert Campbell on Apr 16, 2013

Joel Levy, Profiled in The Distillery District

Joel Levy is the managing editor of Toronto is Awesome web magazine, which is an expanding index of cool gaining prominence one post at a time at the hands of two dozen volunteers that are surprisingly talented and generous with their art. Their community news portal is getting more and more powerful everyday, and Joel Levy is doing everything right to help shepherd its steady rise in readership.

Joel Levy at Cafe Uno in Toronto is AwesomeToronto is Awesome is a website dedicated to positive news stories. The community blog portal is closely modeled on Vancouver is Awesome, which has sisters, Whistler is Awesome and Calgary is Awesome; all four positive news journals are part of the Canada is Awesome blog network. Their unique positive news presentation style is catching on all across the nation, because readers seem to relish write ups that focus on the small details of local events, especially music and club reviews.

Toronto is AwesomeThe Toronto magazine, with Joel himself credited as author, reported on how awesome the Distillery is last fall in a piece called Tour 2 Distillery District which has lots of great facts about the place beside a series of strangely empty pictures – its like all of the humans were magically sucked out of the shots so Joel could focus exclusively on the Victorian architecture.

Joel Levy beside green poster of theatre show in TorontoNow Joel has discovered there’s more awesome here yet. He’d made arrangements to meet Katie Saunoris, the publicist for Soulpepper Theatre about getting some tickets for his writers to see some stage plays and maybe write about the performances on the theatre reviews section of Toronto is Awesome.

So that’s when I grabbed him and took him out to lunch in Cafe Uno where I snapped shots of him and told him I’d make him famous. Then I wrote this marvelous account of Joel Levy Manages Toronto is Awesome on Canada Blog Friends which is a compendium of Canada’s most culturally significant bloggers as complied by me.

Joel Levy from Toronto is Awesome at Soulpepper theatreThen I snapped these shots of Joel just hanging out at Soulpepper Theatre, getting his first look at the brickwall lineup of plays, so the many great stories that are waiting to be seen and experienced and retold with awesome sauce online.

Post by on Mar 05, 2013

Content Marketing in Toronto at Jib Strategic Advertising Agency

There’s a handpicked crew of creative people at work everyday on the top floor of #9 Trinity St in the Distillery District, the four story brick building on the east side of the central courtyard. Have you ever looked up and wondered what’s up there? The Distillery District Administration office is up there, on the second floor, and the third floor is home to three separate theatre and dance rehearsal spaces. Their surprisingly loud operatic chords are often heard coming up through the floorboards, up onto the fourth floor which is home to Jib Strategic content marketing mariners.
David Shephard at Jib, Advertising agency in Toronto, content marketing
The Jib office is in a special place, and I write about the advantages of having a creative business in a creative community here, but it’s worth remembering today that this location used to be the top floor of a busy alcohol canning factory. This abode is much older than most other office buildings in Canada; it was assembled in the 1870s by workmen brought together by Gooderham and Worts to build the largest whisky distillery in the British Empire. They erected this four story timber frame structure with wooden beams cut from Douglas Fir and shipped to Toronto on the newly made railroad tracks. The same workmen used bricks brought a mile south by horse and buggy from the red clay pits on the Don River Flats (Pottery rd).

jib content marketing in Toronto in Distillery DistrictEven before the Prohibition Era, which saw radical changes to the layout of the G&W Distillery, this four story brick building was probably already a canning factory; it directly connects to other parts of the infrastructure including the mixing and settling tanks. The cannery’s number one product was an alcohol based antifreeze. The whole edifice was formerly known as Bldg 58, and the top floor of this factory was probably a storage area filled with empty cans. Today its filled with a can-do ad agency.

content marketing office in Toronto, David Shephard and Jillian PyperJillian Pyper is the first face people see when they open door on Jib, and it’s her voice on the answering machine message. Jillian is a sharp girl with big hair who used to work at the Canadian Country Music Association, and before that she was gainfully employed at the Canadian Red Cross.

David Shephard brought the agency to this location back in 2006, because he liked the view. Jib Strategic is the original sponsor of the Search and Social Rank Symposiums which have been detailed on this blog, and David is an able designer who runs a pretty relaxed crew where the people think for themselves and structure their time around project requirements. Its not uncommon to see these artists watching webinars on their lunch breaks to learn and practice new skills.

content marketing at Jib Strategic in TorontoProjects are put together as a team; each programmer adds their expertise to every project. Group meetings occur spontaneously, all over the office. Jib is also a business incubator for entrepreneurs with good ideas.

Cornelius Quiring is a Wizard at Work with WordPress

Cornelius Quiring is a talented programmer with rare passion and mad skills for making rich media environments. He’s a skilled coder who specializes in designing and implementing open source solutions for Jib’s many clients.

Cornelius Quiring, Jib Strategic, content marketing in TorontoBoth David and Cornelius like to ride their motorcycles to work. The two farm boys are also jointly invested in a motorcycle apparel club with the unfortunate name of Lilyboys, and Cornelius is the lead designer of this clothing line. Follow him on Twitter @TheQuiringAdmn

Spawned from a short line of Mennonites in Alymer Ontario, the Quiring family came to Canada from the Netherlands by way of Paraguay, and Cornelius can remember the tropical villages of his childhood. He writes a tell-all blog about being a Mennonite called Inside the Buggy which is quite popular.

Benjamin Allison is the Senior Designer at Jib Strategic

When I reminded Ben that my pictures would pinpoint his presence in this place for posterity, he very appropriately produced a fresh photo of his latest project, something that gives him a good reason to remember this moment in time.
Benjamin Allison, senior designer at Jib StrategicSon of a preacher man, Ben is a talented musician who often stays late and records his own music at night in the Jib office. He makes complicated melodies in which he plays every instrument. Ben’s music name is Benjamin Samuel and LinK. Follow him on Twitter @Benjamin_samuel.

Ben is an uncharacteristically communicative designer that’s always ready with helpful tips and good advice in any programming language. He’s an expert art director and web architect who really understands user experience. As a type-font snob, Ben is Comic Sans in a Times New Roman world.

content marketing secrets, games and toys at workBen keeps lots of vintage games and toys on display, set up on several bookshelves throughout the office. Contrary to yesterday’s notions advocating a sterile workplace, everyone now agrees that healthy distractions are to be encouraged, as recent studies show that playing at work, or playing with your work, can often lead to creative breakthroughs.

Sarafino Olive Oil logoLook here at the recently remade Sarafino Olive Oil logo as an example of Ben’s branding. In Spring 2012, he first drew this tiny emotion filled golden angel that has since become the face of an expanding olive oil distribution company, Jib’s relationship with this Canadian company grows stronger with every sales cycle.

At Jib Strategic, being on top of The Distillery District is a case study in the growth and assisted development of a ‘creative economy’ that helps propel the humanities in Toronto and Canada.
Post by Robert Campbell on Feb 24, 2013

$29.95 Valentines Day Dinner @CafeUnoToronto

Halfway down Gristmill Lane, there’s a little hole in the wall sandwich shop called Cafe Uno which serves cold beer and burgers in the summertime, and offers a wide array of warm dishes in the winter. This cafe is a great spot all year round for specialty coffees and free wireless internet. I take lunch meetings @CafeUnoToronto when it’s my turn to buy.

Cafe Uno, pizza in distillery, patio in distillery, wireless internet in distillery, free wifi

Cafe Uno is a great place to hide away for a few hours and ingest stress free soups, sandwiches, and a different salad every day. The kitchen turns out an insanely delicious thin crust high cheese gourmet pizza too. If you live or work in the area just tell them who you are, and owner John Sloan or his wife Lise Sloan, or any cashier will knock 10% off your bill right there at the register. With all of the condominiums going up in the area, the Sloans hope Cafe Uno will grow into a mainstay of the Distillery District’s epicurean landscape, and a perfect choice for both informal meetings and or takeout lunches.

Inside Cafe Uno, exposed brick, wood beams, metal tables, chairs,Inside Cafe Uno, the walls and ceiling are exposed brick and wood beams. Art exhibitors are forbidden to use nails when hanging paintings or adding shelves. You can’t put holes in our history here. The sandwich shop is situated in what was once the brain cavity of a whisky distillery, a factory management office. Its massive iron safe, resembling a modern fridge, which once stored all of the distillery’s cash money, is parked on display just outside the door in a little known hallway museum exhibition.

On the south side of the building there’s a well situated patio. The enclosed area is shaded by a wooden transom. It was described in some detail in the Seven Patios of the Distillery District post, published in the spring of last year, where it was generally acknowledged that Cafe Uno’s cobblestone exterior area is the third largest LCBO licensed patio in the Distillery District, behind Pure Spirits and Boiler House. For five months of the year, John Sloan can be seen on its forward perimeter stationed at Cafe Uno’s big green egg bbq serving burgers and smoked sausages on yellow egg buns with fresh condiments including sauerkraut which is my preference .

fresh cold cuts, artisan sandwiches, Sandwich counter, Cafe Uno, Distillery District

Cafe Uno Pizza Menu

MARGHERITA ~ Fresh tomato with mozzarella cheese

PICIFICO ~ Smoked salmon, tomato, pesto & tomato sauces & Asiago, Parmesan & Reggiano

VERDE GOURMET ~ Nut free pesto, a blend of Asiago, Parmesan & Reggiano, prosciutto

INSALATA CAPRESE ~ organic field greens, sliced tomato, boconcini cheese

UNO PESTO ~ Nut free pesto, sundried tomatoes, goats cheese, asiago, parmesan & reggiano

SARDENGNA ~ Mushrooms, artichoke hearts, tomato sauce, goat & mozzarella cheeses

GRECO ~ Spinach, mushrooms, sun-dried tomato, black olives, feta & mozzarella cheeses

CINQUE FORMAGGI ~ A blend of goat, mozzarella, asiago, parmesan, reggiano cheeses

PESTO POLLO ~ Nut free pesto, fire roasted peppers, grilled chicken & Asiago, parmesan & reggiano cheeses

LA PIZZETTA~ Fresh tomatoes, smoked ham, grilled Portobello mushrooms, freshly grated parmesan cheese, pesto & mozzarella cheeses

EL JERKO ~ A blend of fresh jerk tomato sauce, grilled chicken, sweet pineapple, mozzarella

GIARDINO ~ Grilled zucchini, peppers, eggplant & mushroom, tomato sauce & mozzarella

MAHALO ITALY ~ Smoked ham, sweet pineapple, fresh red pepper & mozzarella cheese

When I last interviewed John Sloan, he was in fine spirits and told me, “…we have been offering a different array of lunch specials, many with a Mexican flavor thanks to our chef Sergio who is Mexican. We have also been trying to promote our pizzas to the condo folks. We’re telling them to phone down and order then come and pick up. We’re pushing the 10% off offer to residents and businesses, especially trying to get word out to the new arrivals in the new condos.”

white chocolate cake, Cafe Uno, hand, Valentines Day, special event, dinnerLise Sloan adds “We do morning breakfast baskets for offices. You can get freshly brewed coffee alongside casual breakfast or lunch feasts delivered to your offices. Are you planning an office party? Why not order some elegant hors d’oeurves? If you are around after lunch, why not try Cafe Uno’s afternoon tea service? There are dozens of deleivious loose leaf teas waiting, weekdays from 2 to 4pm. Test our ability to personalize any menu.

Cafe Uno Catering specializes in a wide range of meal creation and delivery services designed to meet your entertaining needs; our innovative menus reflect versatility in all price ranges.” As the distillery grows larger, more and more businesses are discovering and then coming to trust the cafe and its charismatic owners. You can like Cafe Uno on Facebook here and that’s maybe a great way to stay abreast of daily, weekly and monthly specials.

Celebrate Valentines Day at CAFÉ UNO for only $29 per person.

John and Lise are handcrafting a very special evening on Feb 14th for couples and young lovers. They’re preparing an exquisitely delicious three course meal served between 6pm and 10pm at night in the cafe, which is in itself is a real departure from normal business hours.

Valentines dinner…three course meal $29.95.. please use the Cafe Uno website to make reservations.

Post by Robert Campbell on Jan 29th 2013

Leif Benner, Goldsmith in Toronto

Leif Benner makes custom wedding rings in Toronto; he’s a modern day goldsmith who uses state of the art technology and equipment, high purity gold and silver, and morally safe diamonds and other colourful gems in his work. Plus he’s a real nice guy who shares unit 108 – 15 in the Case Goods Warehouse with Traven, his younger brother and right hand man.
goldsmith in toronto, custom wedding rings

I was surprised when Leif told me he was a goldsmith. We were just two strangers fixing our coffees in Balzacs, when I asked him his business. I shouldn’t have been surprised… The Distillery District is like a renaissance village full of creative professionals with all manner of unusual vocations. Meeting a world famous goldsmith at the sugar station in the coffee shop is nothing special around here.

But Leif is special. When he told me he was a goldsmith, I immediately thought of Benvenuto Cellini and Cellini’s boastful autobiography that I read in college.

Then I remembered that Cellini wrote a lot about his apprenticeships and the various guilds and patrons that shaped his art in Florence Italy in the mid 1500s. So how does one go about becoming a goldsmith today?

Benner completed his formal education in the Jewellery Arts program at George Brown College, but like most successful artisans, he’s a product of artistically talented parents and was encouraged to make things with his hands at a very early age. He remembers being inside his father’s art studio and making his first objects d’art from wood scraps found on the shop floor.

silver, garnet necklaceLeif graduated George Brown’s three-year program as an award-winning honours student, and was immediately accepted as an Artist in Residence in the metal studio at the Harbourfront Centre in Toronto. He spent three years at Harbourfront and really grew as an artist there because he was able to refine his technical skills while participating in several group shows at the Centre’s galleries. Back then Leif was also a regular contributor to the Toronto Outdoor Art Exhibition at Nathan Phillips Square, where not just anyone can participate; you have to apply to a committee to earn a vendors license.

Traven Benner is brother The Distillery Historic District became home to the business in 2003. Leif applied and was accepted as a working / retail goldsmith studio on the main floor of the Case Goods Warehouse. His brother Traven now works here too, and specializes in intricate wax carving used in the lost wax casting process.

There’s a process to ordering and buying custom wedding rings that involves artistic sketches and wax molds so that each customer knows exactly what they’re getting before its wrought.

In regards to the historic property Leif writes, “The energy and excitement onsite is contagious as the artist community here pulls together to make it a must-see Toronto destination.” And there’s no doubt, Leif Benner as resident Goldsmith is part of the appeal.

Artfest 2012 Toronto with Mario Beaudoin, Carlo Allion, Scott Cameron, Alfredo Malanca, Kevin Joyce, Patrick Lajoie, Tiffany Horrocks and Christian Aldo

Mario Beaudoin at ArtFest 2012 in Distillery District Labour Day Weekend in Canada means Artfest Ontario dominates the Distillery District for four days. The long weekend event is the highlight of the summer for many local artists and that’s because their paintings sell well in this place at this time.

Make no mistake these artists work hard for their money. Like animals they’re penned up beside their work and exhibited in white tents on red cobblestones. To the left is Mario Beaudoin who drives in from rural Quebec. He painted an interpretation of Balzacs Coffee House.

Mario Beaudoin paints Balzacs coffee The Distillery District’s red brick buildings, patios and greenery really add to the outdoor experience of pondering great and small contemporary works of art. The event is a true one of a kind show in Toronto. The whole trip is very stimulating. Ambulating about the grounds is a great way to spend forty minutes or an entire afternoon.

This is the oldest and most historic region of Toronto and as such it attracts more sophisticated travelers than the other tourism hotspots in the city. The Distillery District and Artfest in particular is a great place to exhibit art and get feedback as well as healthy sales. This is a place to network with busy interior decorators, buyers, and curators of all descriptions who saunter through the grounds over the course of the four day long weekend. Two more high rise condominiums Toronto roof are still unfinished behind the Victorian age buildings that border the cobblestone courtyards.

Wide shot, Artfest 2012, Distillery District, Carlo Allion tent

Carlo Allion paints fantasy, surreal dream images

Carlo Allion gets ideas from dreams and half awake states of subconscious pondering, and he has the skill to put them on canvas and shape the vision to make great art.

Carlo Allion

Carlos says he paints ‘…statues that have come to life.’

Carlo Allion, 2012 Artfest, Distillery District His art is perfect for old houses and investment bank headquarters – its seems devil-may-care and somehow thoroughly random. Some of his work smacks of Terry Gilliam’s nonsensical whimseys.

Allion’s fun loving paint brush blends curious imagination and outrageous proportions into a sophisticated personal style. See more at CarloAllion.com

J.J. Dukharan airbrushes apes on T-shirts at Artfest2012 in Toronto

You can see more JJ Dukharan sketches and

Cre8cure is a storyful art project featuring a collaboration with Alfredo Malanca collage artist and image sampler. Read about a new partner Timothy Wong and discover their custom screen printing and airbrush service in Toronto.

JJ Dukharan of Cre8cure
JJ Dukharan of Cre8cure

Tiffany Horrocks, impressionist painter, Guelph Ontario

South center in a corner booth facing the cafe was Tiffany Horrocks acrylic on canvas, impressionist painter from Guelph Ontario. She was here last year, in the exact same spot. This time she brought lots of glossy sunflowers.

“These paintings will last forever,’ she said, pointing to the high gloss epoxy finish that makes each piece shimmer reflecting the light outside the canvas booth. And by that she means the colour wont ever fade, because that clear coat resin finish locks in the painting’s vibrancy for the rest of time.

Tiffany herself is a colourful person in every respect with great energy emanating from her soul. I made her open her eyes as wide as she could in the bright sunlight to catch her smiling and help define her as part of this historic event.Tiffany Horrocks She is here helping to define the event.
Tiffany Horrocks smiling face and personality alongside her big, bright and colourful works of art were certainly one of the main focal points of ArtFest 2012 in the Distillery District.

Tiffany Horrocks

Here’s Tiffany standing beside her favourite painting in the bright sunlight outside her own booth at ArtFest 2012 .

Scott Cameron of Candide Cameron was in the District

Scott Cameron of Candid Cameron Photography Scott Cameron used to be a radio host and has a long career as a radio personality, and segment producer dating back over fifty years, including work at now obsolete radio stations such as CKEY. He was a disc jockey and grew up in that station’s classic struggle with CHUM in the early days of Rock&Roll here in Toronto.

Scott told me that his grandfather was an oil painter who was so talented that he could use each canvas as a live-time storytelling apparatus to amuse his grandchildren. He would tell a tale and as Scott watched the story would come to life in his hands.

Scott began to see pictures and photos that he had taken with his film camera as works of art, but it was the rise of digital manipulation that put Scott in the driver’s seat. With new cameras and computers it became clear that images could be refined and improved digitally and so better used as storytelling mediums. He told me that great art requires composition, sharp exposure and the ability to edit and improve an idea that may or may not be present in the image during the initial exposure, but probably was… then he looked around and told me some of the stories in the pieces on the walls of the booth. Today Scott runs Candide Cameron photography service.

Patrick Lajoie sells a wide array of various sized hollow wooden squares with curious images expertly stuck on their front faces.

Lajoie’s makes and sells limited edition wooden cereal box like photography pieces; its art furniture that you hang on the wall.

Patrick told me that he also makes wooden furniture for the floor too, but he prefers working with a camera and making photography better because there’s a lot less sanding.
Patrick Lajoie
I’m not sure if the army green vintage MASH 4077 tshirt goes along with the Magic theme that’s spelled out on the painting, but it probably does… The t shirt is oddly representative of Patrick’s style, a throwback to simplier times as represented in 1970s era iconic products and advertising. You can learn more about Patrick Lajoie.

Lauren Best sang songs to socialites and savvy shoppers on Sunday

This 21ye old girl has a huge talent inside her tiny frame. She did a perfect job of providing music for the festival on Sunday 2 Sept 2012
Lauren Best, musical performer
You can’t see it, but Lauren is wearing two pairs of glasses. She has reading glasses on under her sunglasses. She had a rough start that Sunday as she had to move all her equipment by cab, and was still setting up at 11am, but once started her show was solid and every song quite delightful and unrecognizable from its original form. That’s her art.

Find out more about Lauren Best and get on her mailing list for advance notice on upcoming shows.

Kevin Joyce in front of La Cloche Mountains, Killarney Provincial Park

Kevin is pretty skilled at painting landscapes with personality. This fine arts acrylic on canvas painter knows exactly how much of his own animated personality to inject into his art.
Kevin Joycem painter at Artfest 2012

Kevin is good with a brush

Christian Aldo is the center point of the show.

Christian is super skilled fine arts painter with a big personality and full time party attitude. His wide style booth is #A1 and so he was positioned directly under the main Gooderham and Worts pipe transit, in the center of the compound.

Christian Aldo with piano player
Christian Aldo clutches his jazz piano painting and beams at adoring patrons after receiving many compliments at the show. His work is so unusual and recognizable now, and he has such a voice.

Christian Aldo’s central position in the courtyard became the wheel about which all other artists and guests would gyrate.
Christian Aldo is High Bass Relief Painter

Its not by accident that Christian Aldo’s vociferous art spills out onto the cobblestones of the Distillery District during the 2012 Toronto Artfest
Christian Aldo at Artfest 2012 in Distillery District

Christian Aldo does last minute repairs to his Latin horn player’s instrument.

Lori MacDonald the show producer was hanging around the grounds with chalk and a tape measure in her hand; she was always having conversations with herself (on headset on phone) managing her artists and putting out the occasional fire.

This year the art festival brought together over seventy Grade A quality fine artists, sculptors, painters, photographers and other vendors from Aug31 – Sept 1, 2, and holiday Monday Sept 3rd 2012. The show has a massive attendance; over one hundred thousand visitors passed through the front gates of the DHD this holiday weekend. Were you one of them? Tell us who you spotted, and which artist you liked best in the comments.

Corkin Gallery is a Tankhouse Full of Art in Distillery District

Corkin Gallery is located right in the middle of the Distillery Historic District behind a huge thick green wooden door halfway down Tankhouse Lane – indeed this acclaimed viewing place was once a room full of wooden whiskey vats.

Corking Gallery front door in Distillery District

Unlike other smaller galleries, this internationally acclaimed venue has five separate exhibition spaces and warehouses over one thousand works-of-art with as many as fifty on display at any one time. This is a ten thousand square foot facility which multiple exhibitions may be permitted to interact with one another.

front door of Corkin Gallery in Distillery DistrictCorkin Gallery is recognized worldwide for its contribution to contemporary art discourse. By facilitating discussion among artists, writers, curators, museums and private collections, Corkin Gallery curates projects and exhibitions that contextualize the work of international artists with an historical trajectory.

curator of Corkin Gallery art

Kimberly Fletcher tries to remember how long she has been a curator. Corkin Gallery represents an impressive roster of artists whose works explore issues concerning the environment, identity, consumerism and narrative in a variety of mediums including photography, concrete abstract painting, digital media and sculpture. With top quality staff like Kimberly, Corkin Gallery assumes an ambitious exhibition schedule and actively attends art fairs at The Armory in New York, Art Basel, Art Hong Kong, and Art Toronto.Corkin Gallery, inside, definition, walls, artists, oil paintings
Curator assistant Jennifer Ballantine Distillery DistrictJennifer Ballantine is assistant curator.

The Corkin Gallery was founded in 1978 as Jane Corkin Gallery and moved from its John Street loft space to the converted tank house in the Distillery District in 2010. When the gallery took occupancy the space was still very rough, and they helped shape the rough interior into its present form and especially the lighting on the walls which is always so important in an art gallery.

Nigel Scott, Opening: Conversations with Blue,
Since the early 1980s, Nigel Scott’s vision has been revered internationally. His stellar commercial work has been featured in Vogue, Elle, Marie Claire, Glamour, Max and Cosmopolitan. Conversations with Blue, a collection of cyanotypes – “reminders of the oceans fragility reflected in blue” –capture his early inspiration. These latest images embody the artist’s signature style – elegant, articulate and sublime.

A compilation of the series is represented in a book Scott produced under the same name, Conversations With Blue, available at the Corkin Gallery.

Francoise Sullivan,

Corking Gallery, Francoise Sullivan works, exhibitionFrançoise Sullivan has explored the relationship of the unconscious with painting and dance. Born in Montréal, she was a founding member of the Automatiste movement. Sullivan studied modern dance in New York, later gaining recognition as an innovative dancer and choreographer.

Sullivan has returned to painting in the series of paintings titled Aedh, an Irish/Gaelic term which connotes fire that does not consume itself. The colour red is the springboard for what has been created. Her lifetime of intellectual exploration and discovery are exemplified in each of her works. To view one of Sullivan’s current works is to delve into the rich cache of her celebrated past.

Sharon Switzer, Nearly Present

BIMM Joins TELUS For Day Of Giving

Special shout out to Rebecca Cotter, the gregarious Distillery District Outdoor Event Coordinator who gave us blog writers the heads-up about BIMM a direct response marketing company over in #3 Trinity, who recently participated in the TELUS Day of Giving™ campaign. These people gave their time and money to help out less fortunate families here in Toronto.

TELUS Day of Giving™
On the last Saturday of each May, TELUS Day of Giving™ brings together team members, retirees, family and friends nationwide to make a powerful positive impact on local communities in Canada. Collective volunteer efforts from coast to coast improve the lives of people and animals as volunteers gather to help out and serve food at shelters, or do landscaping in parks or around senior care homes, or even freshening facilities at local animal shelters. Its all good work that needs to be done for our society’s benefit.

BIMM is a marketing communications agency located in Toronto’s historic Distillery District, with a second office in downtown Montreal. You can get a glimpse inside their offices here on the Bimm Facebook page. #3 Trinity St is the new address for what used to be called Bldg 5 – the white stone distillery building. BIMM is located up on the third floor, (above Tappo Restaurant) and for more than 30 years, they’ve crafted outstanding marketing and advertising campaigns for some of the biggest brands in Canada.

On May 31st 2012 the good people from BIMM joined their friends from TELUS and participated in the TELUS Day of Giving™ at the Daily Bread Food Bank. There were about 33 people in all. These volunteers were BIMM employees, friends and TELUS staff members – together the team was able to sort 5012 lbs of product, and help approx 334 people in need. Good work and congratulations to everyone involved.

Electric Cars at 2012 Toronto Eco-Wheels Show

Mitch and Shelly Korman in The Historic Distillery District

The hundred and fifty year old red brick buildings that comprise the Distillery District were the perfect backdrop for the 2012 Toronto Eco-Wheels Show that was hosted in the historic venue June 16, 17th weekend. This early industrial compound has a long history of vehicular transport, and the rusty old pick-up truck that’s preserved in Distillery Lane stood out in sharp contrast to the state-of-the-art solar powered cars parked all over the property.

The Distillery has used many different types of fuel over the years. The place started life as a windmill grinding grain, and animal oil lamps illuminated the property at night. No kidding, this place really is that old! Our facilities were no doubt first lit with whale oil lamps, a few years before natural gas lamps became widespread in 1840s Toronto. Gas lighting was first introduced in 1841 by the Toronto Gas Light and Water Company Ltd. which opened the city’s first gas works near Front and Parliament, right across the street. Like many other large scale industrial centers, the distillery had its own railroad tracks, and the locomotives burned wood and coal before they were switched to oil after WWII. They delivered large amounts of coal that was used to feed the furnace in the Boiler House. And let’s not forget, Gooderham and Worts made several types of commercial alcohol over the years, and some of that was used as fuel, or more specifically, in the production of fuel additives. Today the property is well decorated with rusty old trucks and wooden whisky barrels on vintage horse drawn wagons; they’ve been left behind as a testament to early industrial transportation systems. And on June 16 17 old met new at @ECOWHEELSSHOW

Distillery District, alternative fuels, solar power, automobile, race carAt the other end of the technological spectrum, the exhibitors at the 2012 Toronto Eco Wheels Show highlighted the best in class of new eco-friendly vehicles which include hybrid / electric cars and gas / electric scooters, motorcycles and even pedal / electric bicycles. The show had free admission and several thousand visitors.

On Sunday, half of the folks at the event were wearing the signature orange t-shirts of a bike marathon that had just made its way to the grounds – the club set this show as its final destination. So it was a double whammy and that made our venue quite crowded at times. And there was a solar powered race car inside the gate which was the favourite of all men age 9 to 90 years old. The car was a recent project completed at McMaster university with the help of about a half dozen other companies and institutions. The car is entirely solar powered but is not very feasible for day-to-day use in our present society. Some of the innovations pioneered here will however work their way into the mainstream automotive industry over the next couple of years.

Amego Electric Vehicles – Attendees can buy a Vespa Style E-Bike for about $2300 CAN

Maria Cavaggioni and her husband Fabio were helping out as representatives of Amego: Vespa style ebikes in Toronto which is a business that could seriously change personal locomotion. Gas burning cars may soon be obsolete on downtown streets.

buy Vespa style ebike for $2300 CAN at Amego electric vehiclesMaria and Fabio were on hand to help change the lives of inner city commuters by selling them an electric scooter, and for this author they they described the effortless pleasure of gliding through the fresh air without emitting any exhaust or noise pollution. And they highlighted how you can park and drive your Amego anywhere a bicycle can travel, and for almost the same low costs.

Amego, electric vehicles, girls, Distillery District, show, Toronto, Eco Wheels

One advantage of Amego over an ordinary bicycle is the absence of exercise and sweaty clothes which is hard to explain at business meetings and can be awkward in classroom situations too. With an electric bike, users can arrive in style, on time even in rush hour traffic, without sweaty clothes or fly-away hair.

Fabio and his wife Maria are from Italy, and so I can only imagine that they have seen the trend in Europe toward electric bikes and have waited with some impatience for the market to become established here – tired of waiting, they have acted to bring the urban travel experience home to Canada’s largest city. Fabio says “With your Amego you may just find yourself taking an hour lunch, putting on a stylish scarf to finish your look, or buying fresh local groceries and going on a picnic in the park.” It’s a lifestyle change.

Amego electric scooters in Toronto, ebikes, And it has huge cost savings in the following areas,

1. Park for free!

2. No insurance or license for e-bikes.

3. Costs only $0.16 to fully charge your Amego and go 50-70 kms.

4. Save on public transportation & cab fare.

5. Attractive acquisition prices.

6. Zero Gas!

7. Little maintenance and no oil changes!

Plus you can feel good and breath in the Fresh Air! Because this vehicle has zero emissions which means it produces zero carbon dioxide (CO2) and no Particulate Matter (PM) or any Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) or any Hydrogen Carbons (HC) or any Carbon Monoxide (CO). Amego’s electric scooters are so clean you can even drive them indoors!

Car 2 Go – Car sharing in Toronto

Leah Camenzind did a good job communicating her vision of car sharing in Toronto at Car2Go booth in the center of the 2012 Eco Wheels Show.

Leah Caminezind from Car2Go at Eco Wheels Show in Toronto

smart car share, Toronto, car 2 go, automobiles, electric carsIn Leah’s utopian vision of the future, there’s a CAR2GO on every street corner. This dream launches June 30th when Cars2go will give out its membership services in the mail within 3 to 5 business days. The company has a free floating concept which means there is no return time. A functional alternative to Autoshare for example, so you don’t have to concern yourself with being charged extra while you’re behind pesky summer construction. When you’re done with the carshare, Cars2go has parking spots at many Green P locations, some Target parking lots, and a few designated locations on the University of Toronto campus. The Cars2go team handles the rest from there. They take care of refueling, cleaning, roadside assistance, GPS navigation, insurance, parking and many other services – all are included in the affordable rental price. Indeed car2go is just what it sounds like – a car to go

car2go auto sharing, Toronto, smart cars, share

Becoming a member is easy and convenient. Simply complete the online registration form, and within 3-5 business days you will receive your membership in the mail after June 30th when Cars2go launches their services and you can have access to the network of car2go vehicles throughout the Home Area which you can see in Leah’s hand above. Follow on Twitter @Car2GoToronto

Plug n Drive Ontario

Plug n Drive Ontario is a nonprofit organization that works to accelerate the adoption of electric vehicles (EV) as a means of helping Ontario drivers save money and reduce their impact on the environment.

2012, Eco Wheels, Show, Plug n Drive, Ontario

The Province of Ontario is offering a rebate of up to $8500 towards the purchase of an electric vehicle or plug-in hybrid car. Green cars are also eligible for a green vehicle license plate. Such plates are awesome because they come with additional benefits like the ability to use the HOV lanes during rush hour, even when commuting alone; these lanes are usually reserved for car with multiple passengers, however green license plates are one exception to the rule.

Ontario is ideally positioned to benefit from widespread adoption of EV. Our energy system is clean and night-time charging allows drivers to take advantage of low-time-of-use prices set by our hydro company. Researchers have reported that over 85% of Ontario commuters travel less than 25km to work each day – making adoption of EV even easier. Find them on Twitter @PlugN_Drive

Goal Zero Solar Adventure Kits

Laurie and Raissa from Goal Zero demonstrated the advantages of having a good reliable power source anywhere you happen to be.

Laurie and Raissa at Eco Wheels Show in Distillery District, Goal Zero

The Escape Adventure Kit comes with a 150 watt battery and includes AC inverter. The solar panels are all you need to charge your battery to power your laptop, or camera, or lights, anywhere you need an otherwise unavailable electrical source.

Raissa from Goal Zero

Tire Life CHECK Boys

Louis, Mike and Anish of Green My Tires were fully inflated at the 2012 Toronto Eco Wheels Show and their booth was the most endowed with dispensable SWAG. The troops gave this author four different automotive accessories to help remember them by, and to help properly digest their message:

collect and reuse rubber tires in Ontario, Ontario Tire Stewardship (OTS) was established in 2009 and is incorporated under Ontario’s Waste Diversion Act. The organization exists to help Ontarians reduce, reuse and recycle their used tires through the Used Tires Program in Ontario. Their program recycles and reuses the 12 million tires sold annually in the province, preventing them from ending up in landfills or being dumped illegally. Instead, OTS directs these scrap tires to recyclers who use them to make new green products for your home, office, local school and park.

Recycled tires are used to make a wide range of useful green products:

Producing tire-derived aggregate instead of stone

Crumb rubber which is used to make better sports fields,

playgrounds, hockey rinks, and more durable quieter roads

Finished goods including floor mats, soaker hoses, mouse pads, roof

shingles and sidewalks, and rubber components for cars and trucks

The Nissan LEAF Booth

The Nissan LEAF is not a hybrid vehicle, but rather is the world’s first mass-produced 100% electric car!

Nissan LEAF, electric car, Toronto, 2012 Eco Wheels Show

The LEAF has a top speed of 144 kms hr and a maximum range of 160 kms on a single charge, but if you have a 120 volt charger it takes 21 hrs to bring the battery back up to a full strength. It only takes seven hours if you have a 240V

Charger.

Nissan Leaf is an electric car with an electric engine

This is an electric engine – there are no emissions because there is no tailpipe.

The annual Eco-Wheels Show is an important part of building stronger ecological awareness in Toronto to help enhance Toronto’s adoption of green transport alternatives and support green energy initiatives. The event was established a few years ago to provide a forum for Eco Awareness and it has grown stronger each year. This annual display and celebration of alternative energy technology let consumers get up close and personal with new automotive product developments designed to save money and protect the environment.